UNITED NATIONS IN THE PHILIPPINES Exhibit on Initiatives and Partnerships with Indigenous Peoples
ETHNOGRAPHIC MAP OF THE PHILIPPINES 110 ETHNOLINGUISTIC GROUPS 14 MILLION INDIGENOUS PEOPLES POPULATION (16 %) 7.7 MILLION HECTARES (25.84%)
Supporting Indigenous Peoples The Food and Agriculture Organization recognizes the adverse conditions in which many indigenous communities live, and their need for more attention from the international community. FAO is working to safeguard the biological richness on which indigenous peoples depend, and to build on and use local knowledge to improve development interventions. Through the Indigenous Peoples Working Group, FAO aims to develop this area of work further to contribute to alleviating rural poverty worldwide. FAO has been a member of the Working Group on Indigenous People Empowerment since 1998. FAO's past and current projects on indigenous peoples include: "Support to Asset Reform through Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Programme and Development of Indigenous Communities "Support Activities for Indigenous Groups in Agrarian Reform Communities "Strengthening the Philippines' Institutional Capacity to Adapt to Climate Change (MDGF 1656), a joint project with other UN agencies "Inter-agency programme to nurture peace, security and decent work through community development in conflict areas of the Philippines (Bondoc Peninsula), a joint FAO and ILO project "Conservation and Adaptive Management of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS)" For further information please visit: www.fao.org PHOTOS FAO
Building Partnerships for the Development and Protection of Ancestral Domains Self-empowerment has now become more of a reality for indigenous peoples in the Caraga region. A development largely due to strong partnership. For me,the most empowering experience is to sit with government officials, military and police officers, tribal leaders together with the business community and nongovernment organizations, to discuss culturally-sensitive development needs. I never thought this will ever happen, said Dakula Roldan Porogoy of the Mamanwa ancestral domain in Santiago, Agusan del Norte. While promoting development through strong partnership, indigenous peoples are also protecting and preserving their natural resources as stewards of the environment. The International Labour Organization Indigenous Peoples Development Programme, through the support of the Government of Spain, helped indigenous peoples using a community-driven participatory development (CDPD) approach. It established convergence mechanisms to develop and protect ancestral domains, at the same time to strengthen dialogue. As a way forward, it is crucial to sustain partnership and strengthen convergence mechanisms. It is important to build the capacity of convergence partners and indigenous peoples for the development and protection of ancestral domains. For further information please visit www.ilo.org/manila. PHOTOS ILO
Learning and Asserting Indigenous Peoples Rights It is heartening to see how awareness of their human rights is making indigenous peoples gain more confidence in themselves and realize that all people should be given equal opportunities said Mr Alan Buag, Chairperson of the Committee on Tribal Affairs of the Municipal Council of Sibagat, Agusan del Sur. The International Labour Organization is responsible for international instruments that deal exclusively with the rights of indigenous peoples. Promoting human rights under the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act (IPRA), ILO Convention No. 169 on Indigenous and Tribal Peoples and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples is now getting support from indigenous communities in the Caraga Region. In partnership with the Commission on Human Rights and the Government of Spain, the ILO Indigenous Peoples Development Programme, supported community level and culturally-sensitive training of trainers on human rights involving indigenous peoples and representatives of local government units, national government agencies and civil society organizations including military and police officers. To sustain this initiative, trainers formed themselves into paralegal volunteers group. The challenge to support leaders of indigenous peoples, women and men as they strive to become human rights advocates remains. As human rights advocates, they can contribute towards protecting indigenous peoples rights in their ancestral domains. For further information please visit www.ilo.org/manila. PHOTOS ILO
Empowering Indigenous Women Deeply embedded cultural practices have made the society in which indigenous women live generally male dominated. But in Lake Sebu and selected ancestral domains in the Caraga region, their situation is changing. They are now more visible in the socio-economic and even political field, as their rights are increasingly recognized and respected. Before, I used to suffer from violence at home, but since I started to know more about my rights and became selfemployed, I am now being treated well and respected expressed by an indigenous woman in Lake Sebu. Indigenous women are now helping support the needs of their family through self-employment and alternative livelihood. They are also gaining respect for their work and contribution to their own community. With funding from the Government of Spain and Finland, the International Labour Organization Indigenous Peoples Development Programme and Lake Sebu, promote gender equality alongside initiatives that will ensure decent and productive work and promote sustainable enterprises for women and men. The greater challenge now is sustaining community mechanisms to ensure gender equality. This includes more in-depth training on gender equality for community advocates and strengthening of micro-enterprises for indigenous peoples. For further information please visit www.ilo.org/manila. PHOTOS ILO
ILO IPDP Striving to be Free from Poverty The Manobo indigenous peoples tribe strive to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. They now have farm-based livelihoods, both at the individual and enterprise level, but based on sustainable use of natural resources in their ancestral domain. Palm sago tree products are part of their enterprise development. Palm sago tree, is a renewable natural resource that has thrived for ages in the peat lands of the Manobo ancestral domain. Through the International Labour Organization Indigenous Peoples Development Programme, with the support of the Government of Spain, indigenous peoples now produce organic flour from palm sago trees. They have developed market link with a large factory in Davao, which buys the organic flour to make ice cream cones. Indigenous peoples also established the Kayumbyahan Sago Manobo Corporation (KASAMACOR) to run the enterprise. Under the principle of multi-sectoral convergence for the empowerment of indigenous peoples, the Department of Agriculture with assistance from the World Bank has committed to contribute resources for the expansion of palm sago organic flour production. Helping indigenous peoples advance their entrepreneurial skills and expand their market both at the local and international level are part of the challenges. Scaling up and developing such enterprise in other indigenous peoples communities in Caraga is a viable way forward. For further information, please visit www.ilo.org/manila. PHOTOS ILO
Keeping the Tnalak Weaving Tradition Alive The Tnalak is no ordinary piece of woven cloth; it is an indigenous work of art, the product of long skillful labour accentuated by deep cultural underpinning, explained by an indigenous weaver in Lake Sebu, South Cotabato. Indigenous women in the Philippines generally engage in weaving for various purposes. But the Tboli women weavers in Lake Sebu do their weaving in an incredibly unique way. They weave the Tnalak with special designs that come out of their dreams. Hence, they are called dream weavers. Passing the skill to the next generation is an art by itself. This is exemplified by the way Lang Dulay, a master weaver and National Living Treasure Awardee, teaches the young Tboli women the art of Tnalak weaving. She does not only transfer the skill, but also the cultural elements that define the product. According to Lang Dulay, traditional Tnalak were bartered for horses and carabaos. However, due to poverty and weak links to local and international markets, dream weavers sell their Tnalak at less cost. The sustainability of Tnalak weaving today depends so much on its economic viability. Women weavers have gone through enterprise development training with technical support from the International Labour Organization, in partnership with the Government of Finland. The ILO is now looking at ways to help the community reach out and identify market linkages where their products such as the Tnalak will be highly valued as a work of art both at local and international level. For further information please visit www.ilo.org/manila. PHOTOS ILO
Empowering Women in Philippine Indigenous Communities In the Philippines, indigenous peoples (IPs) and in particular, indigenous women, have been subject to historical discrimination and marginalization. They often face exclusion, loss of ancestral lands, displacement, pressures to - and destruction of their traditional ways of life and practices. In the process, their culture and identity are being erased. To date, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has undertaken 35 IP-related projects. These initiatives empower women to stand up for their rights regarding water, land, and gender issues. UNDP has also raised the capacity of government agencies and civil society organizations to respond to their needs, including the relocation of IP families in typhoonaffected areas. After over a decade of supporting the development of indigenous women in the Philippines, UNDP, and the UN System as a whole, is entering a new phase in their assistance. This new phase is characterized by greater integration among agencies. Building on extensive local, regional, and global work in human development, advocacy of democratic governance, and mainstreaming of human rights, UNDP and the UN System aim to provide opportunities and space for the voices of marginalized indigenous women to be finally heard. For further information please visit: www.undp.org.ph PHOTOS UNDP
Saving lives through culture-sensitive approaches Reproductive health is a critical issue for indigenous communities whose remote geographical isolation, unique cultural practices and beliefs, and high incidence of poverty expose them to greater risks of maternal and infant deaths than the majority population. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) uses a cultural perspective in its work and has developed tools and resource materials to facilitate and mainstream a culture-sensitive approach in its reproductive health programme, particularly in ensuring safe pregnancy and childbirth. The culture-sensitive approach encourages locally grown solutions in order to ensure ownership and sustainability of development efforts among indigenous peoples and ethnic minority communities. In the Philippines, UNFPA s work focuses on strengthening indigenous people s organizations, empowering them to demand sexual and reproductive health services through community livelihood cum reproductive health initiatives. UNFPA assists local non-government organizations to work directly with cultural communities in promoting voluntary family planning and safe birthing practices; the establishment of community fund for health emergencies; resource mobilization and partnership building. UNFPA will continue to work with relevant partners from government, private sector and the development community to improve the availability, access and utilization of reproductive, maternal and newborn health services in selected indigenous communities. For further information please visit: www.unfpa.org.ph PHOTOS UNFPA
Engaging Communities-Promoting Volunteerism for Peace and Development in the Philippines National Women's Month and IYV+10 Month for MDG 3 (Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women) were celebrated with more than 200 indigenous peoples to promote gender equality and women's empowerment (Millennium Development Goal 3) in one of the conflict affected areas of Mindanao. Participants received the information regarding the Magna Carta of Women, protection of Indigenous Peoples lives in relation to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), promotion of Volunteerism for Peace and Development for their communities. The issues of poverty in their communities was highlighted as ongoing and future challenges, and UN Volunteers and the Partners are engaging with communities affected by the conflict to understand the needs of the Indigenous Peoples. 2001 was proclaimed as the International Year of Volunteers or IYV to enhance the recognition, facilitation, networking and promotion of volunteer service. Follow-up reports guided the General Assembly to call for the marking of the tenth anniversary of the International Year of Volunteers (IYV+10) in 2011. United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme has been designated as the focal point for the IYV+10, and UNV Philippines promotes Volunteering for MDGs! by reaching people and localizing the value of volunteerism to achieve MDGs in the Indigenous Communities with volunteers all around the Philippines through engaging communities with the Bayanihan spirit. The event was organized by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV), United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Partner Agencies such as United Youth of the Philippine Women, Inc. and DSWD-ARMM, LGU in North Upi and the civil society organizations. For further information please visit www.unv.org.ph. PHOTO UNV
UNITED NATIONS TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES: International Labour Organization (ILO) - Lead Agency Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) International Organization for Migration (IOM) United Nations Coordination Office (UNCO) United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) United Nations Information Center (UNIC) United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) United Nations Volunteers (UNV) World Bank (WB) World Food Programme (WFP) World Health Organization (WHO) International Day of the World s Indigenous Peoples 2011 Printing courtesy of the International Labour Organization Indigenous Peoples Development Programme-Caraga through the support of the Government of Spain.